Magica Circle
by silverclaus618
Summary: One year has passed. The Pig Mask Army is gone. Peace has been restored to the world. Lucas has been given a fresh start and is sent off to attend Middle School. Though, his past trauma still remains. These emotions – anger, hopelessness, despair. A new evil emerges; and its catalyst seems to come from within… [AU-ish]
1. Chapter 1 - Luminous

**UPDATE 3-4-16: I Originally had this up here about a year and a half ago but didn't continue because of certain complexities with my life. However, I'm happy to say that I'm reviving this series and will hopefully keep this moving until it's finished. I've altered the story from what I've originally had in mind since then. I've fixed grammatical errors and changed a couple words here and there. But overall, I didn't rewrite any events that happened in this chapter. Though I've added a little snippet at the middle and end in attempt to give some transition in the next chapter and to provide some sense of direction I'll be steering this into. I hope y'all enjoy ****:) **

**Authors Note: Hi. As long time Earthbound/Mother fan, I've decided to write a fanfiction since I've always wanted to create a fan series that is centered around Lucas. This has been an idea that's been going in my head back in Middle School so this is pretty cool to finally put this out openly. **

**Anyway, this is sorta AU-ish since the characters are going to school and Ninten, Ness and Lucas, who are known to be from 3 separate timelines (or worlds) are now coexisting in the same world.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mother 1, Mother 2, or Mother 3. Mother series is owned by Shigesato Itoi. Please support the official release.**

_Chapter 1 ~ Luminous _

**_How many stars are in your bowl?_**

**_How many shadows are in your soul?_**

….

The cool morning breeze coming off the ocean blew across Tazmily Village. The air was thick as it plastered its wet self to your skin and the wind didn't make it any better. The atmosphere was however covered with a heavenly aroma of sunflowers which masked the awful smell of salt water. The sun started to make way over the deep mist as its dazzling light shined down upon the quiet village. Anyone could make out the foul stench rotting corpses of the Sunset Cemetery from the north end of the Crossroad Station. You'd think the villagers would have some decency to plant beautiful green grass and establish fresh trees within the cemetery instead of leaving it _dead_ as it already is: black soil, contorted trees, half buried bodies, beaten tombstones. Though, no had ever died within village, so there was no need to refine the last resting place of the dead. Except maybe, for one. At the topmost part of hill, there lays a single tombstone, sheltered by a gorgeous patch of yellow sunflowers. Every morning, a boy with blond hair would show up to that very tombstone. He will spend ten minutes at the scene praying to give his best wishes to the one who had passed off. Actually, there were now two gravestones. The one of the left read:

"_Wife of Flint, Mother of the twins Claus and Lucas, Daughter of Alec. May the beautiful Hinawa rest in peace here for all time."_

The one to the right read:

"_Our dearest son, our precious friend, our beloved brother. Let our love be able to reach you, Claus."_

The boy would shed tears each time he would visit. Whimpering, he wiped the tears off his face as he took one last glance at the two stones before departing.

_It has been a year and a half since Lucas watched his brother die in his arms…_

_..._

* * *

Lucas was now thirteen years of age but hadn't changed in the slightest physically nor personality wise. He wore his same old red t-shirt with yellow stripes, blue jean shorts, white socks and red and yellow sneakers. Lucas walked through the moist soil of Sunset Cemetery, wiping his puffy red eyes with his messenger bag occasionally hitting his side. Today was his first day of attending middle school. Flint thought it'd be nice for his only son to attend school like any other child would. The birth of this new world was excellent opportunity. The young blonde stopped within the cemetery entrance. He didn't look back. Taking a deep breath, Lucas exhaled as he marched out of the remorseful graveyard. Head above in shoulders, back straight and a firm look painted across his face. He made his way down to the back of the Cross Road Station. From there, he had to the train to get to his new school, which was about thirty minutes from the village.

"Hey!" Lucas heard a familiar voice call out to him. He gazed in the direction in which it was coming from. He spotted a girl with pink hair wearing a sailor uniform. Her top was white and wore a black skirt that came down just above her knee, black tights, and brown dress shoes. She waved as Lucas approached her.

"Good Morning, Kumatora." Lucas greeted his friend with a shy smile and allowed a bit of courtesy take over as he did fifteen degree bow.

"Hey kiddo. Ready for your first day?" Kumatora returned the grin as she threw her luggage over her right shoulder.

"I guess so…" Lucas rubbed his cheek as his nervousness took over. Kumatora was also attending school just like he was. He thought it was fascinating to see her dressed so lady-like. He was always used to her tomboyish look with her usual azure sweater, red boots and slightly ruffled up hair. "So…" Lucas started "You're in 12th grade right?"

"Yeah I'm a Senior. Thankfully it's my last year so I don't have to wear these _damn_ girl cloths." Kumatora went to an all-girl high school so wearing a school uniform was mandatory, which the tomboy was not very fond of. Lucas giggled on how she emphasized her vulgarity. Their early morning conversation was interrupted by a loud whistle. The train was pulling into the station as other civilians crowed around the boarding area. Lucas and Kumatora cringed at the deafening sound of the wheels screeching against the railroad tracks. The trains' emerald exterior shined as the rays from the sun started to beat down onto the earth. The train halted as it opened its big mouth-like entrance.

"ALL ABOARD" The attendant called out as residents started a single filed line. Lucas and Kumatora showed the train passes as the attendant gestured into the newly revolutionized train. The two stepped in as they were immediately greeted by a warm sensation. The interior design of the train was composed of navy blue leather seats and bright colored patterns on the wall and dark carpeting. They took closest seat next to the doorway. Ten minutes passed after everyone boarded onto the train. Bronson, who is now working as the new train director, signaled for the departure. Lucas and Kumatora jerked as their heads tapped back against their seats. Kumatora leaned back in the seat as she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Lucas squeezed himself against the window to avoid any strange physical contact. He was still rather _'_guarded around Kumatora, even though she was one of his closest friends. His blue eyes watched the village fade off behind him as they were now passing by large fields of grass. He looked back at Kumatora, whom seemed to be asleep, with her hands laced around her head. Lucas turned back towards the window leaned his head against it and closed his tainted blue eyes as he too let his mind wander off in complete darkness.

…

* * *

He sat in solitary. The absence of color surrounded him – a vacuum. His hair resembled the color of his deceased brother. His eyes, cerulean. Dressed in a faded orange and magenta stripped t-shirt, turquoise denim shorts and black boots. He hugged his knees, pulling them closer to his face. "_I don't need_…" he murmured. "_I don't need_…_I don't need_…" He repeated. His eyes hampered shut. Black quickly took its form. He let his forehead rest against his legs. And once more, he uttered:

"_I don't need you._"

…

* * *

"Hey Lucas, you awake?" Lucas shot head his up and turned to face his friend, who happened to be wide awake now. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." Kumatora apologized for her disturbing him. Lucas rubbed eyes as he tried to contain himself. "Hey…" Kumatora started. "If you don't mind me asking and I'm sorry for bringing this up." She paused. The tomboy avoided eye contact with Lucas as she looked the other direction. "What was is like having a mom?" This caught the blond off guard. "I only asked because I never had one growing up." Her tone was not of solitude or grief but more rather of emptiness. It was true. Kumatora had missed a mother in lifetime of growing up into an adult. Lucas wanted to answer, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to remember his former life. A hard lump began to swell in Lucas's throat. He opened his mouth when he attempted to speak. "I'm sorry. It's ok you don't have to answer." The pink haired turned to face towards the boy and gave him a heartwarming smile. Lucas paused for a moment, and then returned the smile.

They didn't talk throughout the rest of twenty eight minutes…

The train had finally arrived at the station. The wheels screeched as it stopped. They attendant announced for passengers to exit the train if they were at their respective destination. Lucas and Kumatora grabbed their bags and proceeded to exit the train. Passing through many people, they eventually made their way out of the station. The city streets were filled with cars and pedestrians. Kumatora led the way down the busy morning sidewalk of the city. The two trekked down the pavement until they came across a horde of kids who seemed around Lucas's age. There in the distance, they spotted a big white building. The two casually approached the gate entrance.

"_Spring View Middle School_"

"Well, here we are kid." Kumatora gestured her hand at the sign.

"Thank you so much for dropping me off." Lucas thanked his friends with a bow.

"No problem. If ya need me, the school I'm going to is just up the street. You can't miss it." Kumatora smiled. "Well ya better get goin'. You don't wanna be late on your first day now."

"R-Right." With that, Lucas gave his goodbyes to the pinked haired girl and began heading towards the school doors. He was automatically greeted with warm air within the white building. The school was in a very futuristic style with glass walls, many windows and corridors. His subconscious went in as he wondered around looking for the main office. To his dismay, Lucas couldn't find it. He asked some students if they could tell him where it was. They all pointed in the direction of the location with kindness. He came across it and opened the glass translucent door. The short blonde quickly asked the receptionist for his schedule. The receptionist warmly gave him his schedule and volunteered to get someone to escort him to his home room. He accepted it and was accompanied by an aide several minutes later. The two arrived at_ Room 712._ The aide then opened the clear glass door. Class had already started.

"Excuse me for interrupting Mr. Walker." The aide began. "But it appears you have a new student".

"Oh? Is that so?" The teacher named Mr. Walker stopped his lecture and turned toward the aid. Lucas then walked up to him, rather nervously and handed him his schedule, with his hand shaking. "There there sonny. No need to be scared." He smiled as he gently took Lucas's schedule from his hands and scanned over it. "Well Lucas, welcome aboard." He handed back his schedule to him. "Ok, go ahead and introduce yourself."

With that, Lucas turned to face the rest of the class. There was about 30 plus students in there. And they were all looking directly at him. Lucas's cheeks immediately flushed red out of shyness. "My name is…L-Lucas… and uh… it's v-very nice… t-t-to I-I mean….pleased t-to meet you…" Lucas finished his stuttering introduction with a 45 degree bow. While he was doing that, Mr. Walker took the opportunity to look up Lucas's background from his computer that was sitting on his brown marble desk. The slender teacher wrote Lucas's name of the board and then gestured towards him.

"Lucas here has been homeschooled for some time. So I want all of you to help him adjust to our school alright?" With that said, Lucas took a seat in the 3rd row. All of the desks were futuristic as the white chairs and desks hovered above the grey paneled floor. An hour had passed and the bell rang, dismissing the 1st hour of school. Immediately, Lucas was bombarded with questions from his classmates.

"So what was it like being homeschooled?"

"Do you play any sports? You look like you'd be really good at it."

"Wow, your hair is like really spiky. How'd you get it to stand up like that?"

Lucas was completely overwhelmed and uncomfortable. He knew they meant well but felt like he needed some space to breath. He wanted to answer them, but he couldn't bring himself to do it as he stuttering trying to find what words to say.

"Lucas," Someone called out to him. The blonde looked up to see a boy approach him. He had dark hair, wore a red baseball cap, a blue and white striped shirt and a red bandana. "Do you need to go to the nurse's office? Do you know where it is?" He asked kindly.

"Huh? Umm…no" Lucas had no idea where the nurse's office was.

"I can take you there if you want. I'm the nurse's aide for our classroom." The boy looked up and turned his attention toward the students crowded around Lucas. "Sorry guys, when it's break time Lucas has to go to the nurses to take his medicine." The boy glanced down back at Lucas. "Isn't that right?" The petite blonde started at him for a couple of seconds, and then nodded.

"Really? Sorry about that. We didn't mean to keep you."

"Yeah we can talk some more when you get back, ok?" With that, the students parading around Lucas walked off. What they didn't catch was the dark haired boy winked at Lucas as they trailed off.

…

* * *

Lucas was soon walking down the glassed hallway with the nurse's aide escorting him down.

"Don't mind them. They're harmless. They're all just excited because we don't get many transfer students here." The boy dressed in blue and white snickered as he walked in front of Lucas with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Uhh…" Lucas started. "T-Thank you very much for that…" He thanked him while still looking at the paneled floor. He caught on that the aid helped him get away from that awkward position he was in.

"Hey, you don't have to be so nervous around me. We are classmates now." The boy smiled. "I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Ninten. Nice to meet ya!" The boy named Ninten turned around a flashed Lucas a wide grin.

Lucas felt welcomed by this boy. But was also thrown off in the process. And also, his name. Ninten?

"I know it's sort of an odd name. But it's mine, so I have to accept it." Ninten started to ramble. "But 'Lucas'," Lucas looked up. "is a really cool name if you think about it. Ninten turned around again and walked forward, with his hands now laced around his head." It means illumination, like you're radiating passion or something!" Ninten's tone of voice beamed as it echoed through the hallway.

Lucas looked back down again. "I'm not really like that…" He said in his trademark undertone voice. Ninten stopped and turned around to face Lucas with his hands now at his sides. This made the blonde jump a little.

"Hey! Come on don't say that!" Ninten said with a stern look on his face. "If you were blessed with an awesome name, you gotta make it your mission to be twice as cool!" Ninten face turned back into beaming smile. Lucas only stared. He looked back down again. His face cheeks turned red. And then he frowned very covertly to himself…

…

* * *

The words echoed within. He crouched down, gripping is head. It rang in through - those words. "_Stop it…_" he muttered. His voice stained in malice. "_Stop it…_" he mumbled once more, rocking back and forth, pushing up and down on his heels. "_It's useless…_" his voice croaked. "_It's all useless_…" He tugged on his tainted crimson hair. His lips started to tremble, salvia dribbled down his chin. Tears overflowed from his blue irises. There was pressure welding up, such much that he felt his entire essence collapsing. "_I don't need…I don't need!_" He was gasping for air as his eyes dilated.

"_I DON'T NEED IT!_"

**_Next Circle…_**


	2. Chapter 2 - Innocence

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mother 1, Mother 2, or Mother 3. Mother series is owned by Shigesato Itoi. Please support the official release.**

_Chapter 2 ~ Innocence_

**_Maybe it'd be better,_**

**_If I just died._**

…

"Alright, why don't you try solving this one?" The problems on the screen flipped to a new word problem as the math teacher called Lucas to the front of the room. Lucas grabbed the pen from the holder and held it firmly. He raised his arm and pressed the pen against the white smart board. Lucas wasn't terrible at math but he never had the time to catch up with the rest of the class. He scanned through the equation and preformed some mental math for his solution. His mind came to a halt as he couldn't figure out the problem. Lucas's vision became hazy as his mind began to fog up. His muscles trembled. He took a huge gulp but it got caught in his throat. Water formed in his baby blue eyes. He began to whimper like a little dog. "Oh that's right," the teacher spoke. "You're new here. Ask one your classmates and copy their notes." The boy couldn't handle it any longer. Warm tears trickled down his flushed cheeks. The rest of the students couldn't believe what they were seeing. Lucas just gave his colleagues something new to spread around…

It was November, but it seemed old man winter decided to show its face a month sooner than expected. The outside world was entirely dressed in white. The grey clouds carelessly sprinkled snow from the icy sky. The ground was blanketed with sheets of ice. Spring View Middle School looked like it took a vacation to the arctic tundra. Lunch time had rolled around as Lucas finished putting his textbooks in his messenger bag. The blonde sighed as he attempted to erase the embarrassing scene from algebra from his memory. Drowning out the nattering that resonated throughout the classroom, Lucas's leaned against the glass wall and watched the snow plummet from clouds. Ice twinkled against the tracery of the glass. His mind was still going on how much he made a fool of himself. He never wanted to disappear from a situation that badly since that time with a certain person a year back. Lucas leisurely shut his blue eyes and started to clear his thoughts. Echoes from the students gradually dissipated; he was actually drifting asleep.

"Hey Lucas!" The young blonde jolted up at the call of his name. A familiar face walked up to him. "Hey sorry about that! I didn't mean to startle ya." Ninten scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering if you wanna study together." The energetic boy flashed a wide grin.

"Huh?" Lucas blinked. _Study together. _Those words echoed deep within his head. Lucas glanced in the opposite direction, embarrassment taking over his tainted blue eyes. Was he referring to his massive blunder during algebra? Was he implying something? The blonde's heart ached the more he thought about it. "No thanks…" he murmured. Lucas pulled his body up against the freezing glass wall in attempt to increase the gap between him and Ninten. The blonde didn't hear a reply. In that moment, there was an awkward tension that sat between the two – a long pause.

"Hey…" Ninten broke the silence. "I…" Lucas turned his head toward the boy dressed in stripes. "I didn't mean it like that." He rubbed the back of his head – a nervous tick. "You see, my friends and I get together every other day at the library for a study session during lunch. I just thought…you'd come along since you've been eaten in here by yourself these past several days." Ninten glanced downward at his shoes in shame.

"Oh…" Lucas narrowed his eyes. It was then that moment of awkwardness vanished. He turned his head away from Ninten again, hugging his arms. He felt a knot in his stomach and squeezed his biceps harder. He wanted to be left alone. He slowly got up on his feet, slid his arms into his brown jacket and pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "I'm sorry." Ninten glanced up. "I…don't feel so good right now. Maybe some other time" Lucas was certainly feeling nauseous. "I'm just going to the nurse's office and lie down."

"Oh, if that's the case I'll walk you down there. I am the nurse's aide after all." Ninten quickly offered, putting on nervous grin but Lucas shook his head.

"I'm fine but thank you." Lucas excused himself and strolled out the classroom. Ninten remained, standing next to the now empty desk. The boy dressed in stripes sighed.

"_Darn it Ninten. You blew it._" He cursed himself. "_Now what will I tell others?" _His thoughts were then interrupted by a heavy pulsation coursing throughout his body. Ninten jolted. He staggered a couple inches back, sweat dripped down his temples. The sensation was overbearing, it burrowed into Ninten's soul. The boy's chest tightened as pressure built up in his lungs. He clutched his chest, gasping for air. His legs gave out from beneath and fell onto his knees. He felt the sudden urge to vomit, the sensation traveled up his throat. But Ninten resisted as he swallowed it down. He held his chest tighter and remained on his knees for what seemed minutes. He felt as if he was on the verge of losing consciousness.

And, just as abruptly as it came, the terrible sensation stopped. Ninten felt disappeared. He blinked, and then quickly rose to his feet. His breathing was normal; he felt stable and was no longer feeling faint. His eyes glanced around the classroom. There were a couple of students that gave him the eye, as if he was having a seizure or rather. He just turned his head in the opposite direction to avoid eye contact.

"**_Ninten!_**" A voice rang through the boy's head. "**_Can you hear me?_**" It was a boy's voice. Ninten closed his eyes, lowered his head and folded his arms. His mind melted as he channeled something from within.

"**_Yeah, you felt that?_**"

"**_Yes, are you alright?_**"

"**_Still trying to compose myself but I'll survive. How about everyone else?"_**

"**_All of us are fine. I suggest we discuss further matters in the library."_**

"**_Alright, I'll meet cha' down there._**" Ninten opened his eyes and fixed his gaze toward the frosted glass wall. There, he could see the other side of the building. He made out a figure with blonde hair, a brown coat and a yellow and red stripped t-shirt strolling across the busy halls. "_Lucas,_" A serious expression was painted across his face. "_I'm sorry, but some way or another, you're gonna have to get involved._" With that, the brunet threw on his navy jacket, grabbed his backpack and darted out into the main halls, making his way toward the east corridor. He jostled through horde of students and worked up the steep flights of stairs as he approached the library entrance. He grabbed the cool metal handle of the large wooden doubled doors. Ninten took in a deep breath and murmured. "I just hope when that time comes," he squeezed the handle. "You'll use your PSI to your advantage." The boy pulled back the door and stepped into the library.

…

* * *

Something was wrong with this picture. Lucas laid on one of the black leathered beds provided in the nurse's office. From a normal standpoint, the scene was so trivial, but it would fall into the book of irony for others. Lucas was indeed a psychic user, the powers of psychokinesis. Psychokinesis is an umbrella term for any capability that comprises of having control over one's mind. One factor could be used for regeneration or healing. So why would someone with these extraordinary powers end up at the school nurse's? The answer was simple. Lucas didn't want to use PSI. He wanted to let his nausea dissipate like any other _normal_ person. Normal. Yes, to live blissfully in ignorance to the world around him. There was a term for this. People who are certainly unaware of this phenomenon called PSI, or any other supernatural occurrence in general. Something beyond their level of comprehension. A Muggle, that was the word.

It wasn't comfy like his bed at home, but it was acceptable and more tolerable that he'd anticipated. The room was small, the back wall was coated in plum-purple and the two side walls colored in cinder. The scent of disinfectant and sanitizers filled the air. He was in a fetal position - on his side, hugging his arms like he would usually do, legs curled partially into stomach. The blonde's back was facing towards the doorway in order to keep the nurse and possibly others from looking at his lonesome appearance. "Why?" he whispered. "Why am avoiding him like this?" Lucas hugged himself tighter. "He was only trying to be nice, trying to connect with me. Only for me to say no." His vision blurred, his body shivered and something hard formed in his throat. "I'm so..!" His voice croaked. Liquid spilled from his big cerulean irises. Not only was the first time he cried today, this was now the second. The thought of that made the boy even more frustrated. He frantically wiped the tears that were rolling down his face with his sleeve. He tried to hold back the occasionally sniffles and hiccups. Lucas continued to rub his puffy red eyes. He then rested in silence on the firm leathered bed for the rest of the lunch period.

…

* * *

"I'm just worried about him, y'know?"

"I think you're overreacting."

Duster slid a bowl of tomato soup across the table to Kumatora. The cafeteria was filled with the nattering of adolescent school girls. The walls were completed with a chestnut brown, complementing the beautifully marbled flooring and fluorescent lighting. Duster and Kumatora were seated at a long grey table built for two. Duster had come to accompany Kumatora for lunch. The tomboy had established such bad reputation among her school, her crude, obnoxious and vulgar behavior had kept every girl at a distance with the occasional snobbish remarks. Her grades weren't necessarily poor but she remained with the lowest score in all of her classes, another good reason why everybody kept her at bay. She couldn't care less honestly. Kumatora had better things to worry about other than a school occupied by arrogant, pampered little girls that ran the building like some sort of sorority but she appreciated his company anyway. The pinked haired girl dipped her spoon in the thick red soup. "Look, all I'm saying is that we gotta watch out for him more often." She swirled the crimson liquid.

"And I'm saying that we can't monitor him twenty-four-seven like some sort of maximum security prison." Duster leaned back and folded his arms. "The guy's thirteen; he should be able to take care of himself without us hovering around him. Hell, he was managing by himself at the age of ten."

"Duster, both of us weren't even around him during that time." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know where I'm getting at." He retorted.

"I don't know. Maybe this is what they call 'Big Sister Instincts'." Kumatora sighed, as she brought a spoon full of tomato soup to her mouth.

Ever since the restoration of the world, Duster had to require an occupation – a job. Thus, he returned to performing as the bassist for the local band, 'Desperado Crush Mambo Combo' or DCMC for short. The members welcomed him back with open arms. His attire was identical to the one he wore a year before, a white collar shirt laced with a red tie, hidden by a milky pink suit, silver slacks and black dress shoes. He was given a brown afro-wig by the band when it was time to perform on stage. Duster looked rather ridiculous in uniform, but he didn't mind. He'd grown accustomed to it over the three years he received amnesia due to a certain incident. Besides, he was given the opportunity to do what he loved; play music. It was a rare sight, seeing a man at an all-girl school. The two could distinguish the giggles, offensive comments and occasional glares that were made to them. Kumatora couldn't tolerate the glances Duster was receiving, eyeballing him like a piece of meat. The pink haired leaned back and threw her legs on top of the table, resting the bowl on her stomach.

"Really?" Duster shook his head. "No wonder nobody wants to be around you, you're uncouth." She simply ignored his comment. "And for goodness sake!" He turned his head the opposite direction. "Pull your skirt down! I don't want to see that!" his face took the color of a ground cherry. The girl looked down and saw that her black skirt was sitting a few inches above her waist. A mischievous grin was painted across Kumatora's face.

"Oh come 'on honey, don't be like that! You know you want a peek." She raised her voice and leaned back more, exposing a partial bit of the inside of her skirt. The man's face grew several shades redder in embarrassment. He clapped his hands over his syrup –colored eyes. She laughed hysterically, pulling the bowl close so the soup wouldn't spill.

"Excuse me." The moment came to a grinding halt when a blond girl stood in front of them. "Can you guys like, be quiet? It's really annoying, and disruptive." Her voice was filled with disgust, not to mention haughtiness. The two just stared. The girl ran her fingers through her golden locks and trailed off with her head held up high. Kumatora spat. She turned her head in the direction the girl took off and stuck her fist out.

"Yeah, like I give a rat's ass!" She hollered, waving her middle finger in the air.

"You need to stop." Duster chuckled.

"What? Ain't nobody in this school met someone like me!" The girl scoffed.

"You're a mess."

"A _hot _mess." She corrected. The two sat exchanging insults and jokes for a half hour. It was when the tomboy switched an earlier topic. "Hey."

"Hmm?" The dark haired man leaned forward.

"I…" She stopped.

"What is it?" He raised an eyebrow, giving all attention towards her.

"I know. I know that Lucas has to grow up," Kumatora lowered her voice. This caught Duster off guard. She's bringing this up again? He blinked. "and I know we can't always be there to protect him. But you gotta remember, Duster." Her appearance was gloomy and hurt. "He's still a child." The man folded his arms and glanced to the side. It was then; vivid images flashed in his mind – a young boy, an old man, a crushed leg. He shook the memories out of his head and fixed his attention back at the girl. "Duster," She started again. "promise me, if anything happens to Lucas, the two of us will be there to help him." The look in her eyes, it was fierce and passionate, a loving heart.

"Of course." He assured her. The pink haired gave a sigh of relief. She took another spoonful of the soup. "You know," She looked up. "you aren't exactly the type most people tend to get along with." Duster had his elbows propped on the table, leaning his head against his closed hands. "You're stubborn, loud, vulgar, rude," He went on listing adjectives that would typically describe her, or what separated her from most females. Kumatora wrinkled her nose as he went on. "But," he stopped. "That's what I like about you." He lifted his head and gave a warm smile. "You're not afraid." She blinked, and then there was a pause. The girl returned the smile. She brought the bowl up to her lips and drank the rest of the tomato soup.

"Damn straight." She savored the salty taste.

…

* * *

Finally, the last bell rang. It was time to go home. Lucas packed his belongings, zipped up his jacket and headed out into the throng of middle schoolers. He followed the halls out into the school entrance. Snow continued to fall from the tainted clouds. Lucas loved the smell winter air: crisp, cool and fresh. From here, he had to walk up the street and meet Kumatora at the High School. He then trailed up the frosted cement. Surprisingly enough, there was hardly anyone around. Everyone else went downhill. The blonde continued to walk the lonely streets for about two blocks. He had kept his head down, glancing at his feet, not bothering to pay attention to the road ahead. It was then, those words echoed in the back of his head.

"_You gotta make it your mission to be twice as cool!_" Ninten's words rang within his mind, over and over. He continued glowering, biting his bottom lip.

"No way…" He murmured. "Not me. I can't do anything..." He brought his hands to his sides and curled them into fists. "I just embarrass myself and cause trouble for others..." He stepped in a pile of white snow, his shoes crunched into it. "Why? Is this…the way I'll always be?"

"**_Maybe it'd be better if you just died."_**

"Maybe it'd be better if I just died…"

"**_That's right. You should just die._**"

"I should just…die…"

Lucas then jolted in a daze. He had realized what he just thought of. How could he think of something terrible like that? The blonde noticed that he drifted off conscious while he was walking uphill. But that wasn't just it; his surroundings were completely altered; instead of the grey sky, winter snow, silent icy roads and concrete buildings, he was met with something much darker. He was on an endless plane of grass, but was blemished with an unorthodox color of navy blue. The sky brewed a deep olive, with crumbs of black streaks scattered across. There was essentially nothing but the vast area of blue and green, though the scene was horrendous and unnerving. Lucas's eyes dilated as he observed region he was in. His legs trembled. "W-Where…am I?" He turned his head in all directions, but saw nothing but the empty space. His heart pounded wildly, so much that he thought he it was going to collapse. He just stood there, frozen in place. His cerulean eyes flickered. It was then he felt something drip on his nose. The boy in the brown jacket flinched. What was it? Was it raining? His hand reached for his nose and gently placed his finger on the dorsum. It was black. What is this, ink? Lucas felt another dribble on his cheek. The boy glanced up. Little dark splashes came down from the tarnished sky, which was now accompanied by ominous bright clouds that were spiraling rapidly. A cataclysmic flash erupted, blinding the petite blonde. The black liquid sprinkled across the field and a strong current swept in, rustling the blue grass. Blasts that were equivalent to the sound thunder rang in Lucas's ears. His vision came to when he saw the clouds bubble in unison. His eyes widened…

There, beyond the silvery ripple, resided a head. It resembled the one of a mannequin, shaded in white, pointed nose, chiseled jaw and hairless. Its eyes painted black, the color of death. It just looked down upon Lucas, aware of his presence. He just stared back in horror. No, horror is used to describe something frightening or utterly creepy. What were the words for situations like this? Fear? Terror? It doesn't matter. All he knew that was petrified and needed to escape from whatever that was. Suddenly, the Mannequin Head's eyes glowed. Its jaw lowered, revealing its massive mouth. Several colorful lights formed within the dark hole. It was difficult to conceive what the vibrant glows were. Lucas remained in the position he was in, locking his eyes upward. Then, another brilliant flash illuminated the scenery. The lights shot downward, cutting across the black atmosphere. Each light grew bigger and bigger into groups. It was then, Lucas finally understood. Those were constellations, a system of multi-colored suns heading straight at him. The blonde didn't have time to think. He had to move **now.** And with that, he leapt into the air, gliding from the gigantic cluster of stars. Each one exploded upon impact, holding the amount of energy equivalent to a supernova. Lucas fell back down toward the diminished meadow. He channeled something within. Something he hadn't really used in over a year. A encircle of light formed at the soles of his shoes. It cushioned his landing. The moment his feet touched the ground, he darted off into the distorted land. Lucas kicked up the black sludge in the grass, splashing it onto his jacket and shorts. The boy didn't care. He just needed to keep on running. The Mannequin Head glided across the bubbling clouds. More colorful lights formed at the opening of its mouth. All of them fell like the shooting stars they were. Lucas prepared to jump again, but his foot was tangled in the wet grass. He struggled freeing his leg, then finally pulled it loose. However, the bright constellations rained down on him before he could make another move. The explosions sent him hurtling across the air. He smashed onto the wet terrain, skidding through the dark fields of grass. The blonde quickly regained movement but couldn't support himself long enough to run again. The Mannequin Head charged up another spectrum of lights. Lucas was gasping for air, only being able to crawl. Again, a fantastic display of stars plummeted down towards the earth. Lucas attempted to crawl faster, but wasn't getting anywhere out of range of the oncoming shower. His arms gave out underneath as his face went into the dirt. He felt the heat draw closer to him. A warm stream traveled down his face, mixing in the dirt and bruises. Lucas buried his face in his palms, sobbing, waiting for his last moments of being alive…

A dazzling barrage of red, blue and yellow overpowered the shower of constellations as the multi-colored stars hurtled themselves back at the Mannequin Head. Supernova's detonated as the enormous figure crashed onto landscape. Lucas's hands remained buried in his face, tears seeping through.

"Well that was a close one, wasn't it?" A voice spoke up. Lucas lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder, his vision hazy. There were two boys. One of them had a familiar face - a blue and white striped t-shirt, navy jacket, red baseball cap, and red bandana.

"Don't worry you're safe now." One of them turned his attention towards him. "Lucas." There it was, that same goofy grin. It was Ninten.

"W-W-What…are you d-d-doing here?" Lucas stammered. He was in disbelief. Though, was he seeing things? The other boy looked identical to him in every way. He had same black hair and similar red baseball cape, except he wore a blue and yellow striped t-shirt and crimson jacket. The Mannequin Head rose to the base of the clouds and started to charge yet another ray of stars. Ninten and the other boy focused on the floating figure. With a blinding flash, a storm of constellations shot towards them. Ninten raised his arm above his head, holding his finger up.

"Just don't tell anyone else in class, kay?" In that moment, a swirling cobalt erupted from his finger and engulfed the three in a crystalized barrier. The shooting stars collided with the barrier and burst upon impact. The other boy took two fingers and placed it on his forehead. He stuck his other hand in front, aiming it toward the massive figure. Just then, an emerald pulsating ball flung toward the Mannequin Head. Lucas recognized the attack. It was identical to his. The green orb struck the Mannequin Head. A pattern resembling a spider web glowed on the surface of the figure. With a deafening sound, the Mannequin Head exploded into many fragments which fell below. Though tears blurred his vision, the blonde watched in amazement as he was able to make out the entire scene. However, a wave of fatigue hit him. His vision grew dark and felt disoriented. Lucas collapse on the ground, falling unconscious.

…

* * *

He sat in the vacuum space. Alone as always, cradling himself. "So useless…" he murmured. "I couldn't do anything but run away. Why...am I like this?" His eyes filled with shame. He buried his face into his knees like he always does. He dug his nails into his skin in vexation. "If only I were stronger." His voice sullied disgust. "If only I had more power…" He hugged himself tighter. Water leaked from his cerulean eyes, soaking his denim shorts. "That won't happen. I'll never…"

"That's no good." A voice chimed. His head bolted, lips trembling, eyes red and poofy. He turned the direction of the voice. Then, what you came face to face with…

"You're…" His eyes faltered.

"That's right! I'm you, the other you." It was a mirror reflection in facial appearances. He had round cheeks, stout jaw, burned orange hair and blue eyes. However, his attire was completely dissimilar. A red and green t-shirt, brown denim shorts, green socks, and brown boots. It had the most reassuring smile, as if it'd gotten the birthday present it'd always wanted. Sitting on its knees beside him.

"The other me..?" He sluggishly gestured to himself.

"Have you forgotten? We promised we'd get stronger. That way we wouldn't have to suffer like that ever again." The mirror image's voice was evidently loud. So much so that he felt like taping its mouth shut. He lowered his head once more and cried.

"But...I can't…"

"So you're just going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself? You're going to go back on the promise we made?" The mirror image raised its voice. "Weakling! Coward! Why don't you give up and die?" It taunted, how annoying.

"Those words again… it would be better if I did. All these feelings, I just want them to end!" More tears trickled down his cheeks. He grinded his teeth.

"Then turn those emotions into power! All that confusion and all that frustration" He then jolted his eyes and fixed his gazed at the reflection. "You're from Fantasy, remember?" The mirror image assured.

"F-Fantasy?" He blinked.

"Surely you couldn't have forgotten. Magic, Imagination?" The reflection explained. "All those things people wished that were real." It leaned forward with a stupid smirk on its face.

"No." He shook his head. "No, no, no! I don't remember!" He brought his hands to his head and clapped them over his ears. "I don't know what you're talking about! Just leave! Leave!" He shook his head violently, rocking back and forth as he usually did. "I don't need!" He went into a panic, again. "I DON'T NEED!"

"Listen to what I'm saying." The mirror image stood up. He just ignored it and kept repeating those words. "You just have to believe is all." It chirped "Believe me when I say our desire will be granted with certainty." At this pointed, he'd stop spouting nonsense and listened to what it was saying. "Believe in magic." It repeated once more.

"M-Magic?" He blinked. It nodded.

"As long as you believe, and as long as others keep fantasizing, then we will certainly achieve power without fail." The reflection took a step forward and brought its head to his level. It held up its finger and smirked. "Belief will be the key to obtaining power." He frowned, closed his eyes then opened them again.

"I believe!" he declared. It nodded. The reflection extended its hand toward him. He glanced at it. Then with a determined expression, raised his arm and took its hand.

**_Next Circle…_**


End file.
